


Just say that you want me

by orphan_account



Category: Devilman (Anime & Manga), Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Also sexual nudity as well, Everybody else is crybaby I guess. Miki's a mixture of all versions (except super horny versions), Focuses more on Akira and Ryo's relationship than anything else, God I hope I do okay writing them, I believe, M/M, Metaphorical Sex, No actual sex, Ryo is thirsty, Sort Of, This is more of an AU than a crossover, This is the first thing I'm ever posting, idk I was just having fun writing this, manga akira, manga ryo, non-sexual nudity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-21 11:31:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21298760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ryo Asuka, Third Child, meets the Second Child Akira Fudo.
Relationships: Asuka Ryo | Satan/Fudo Akira
Kudos: 18





	1. The Same Old Tune

**Author's Note:**

> I just really wanted more Devilman crossovers.

When Ryo was called in to be a 'test pilot', he certainly wasn't expecting this. The Commander, his father, ordering him to pilot a giant robot to fight the Angels. It was probably the strangest situation Ryo had found himself in (not counting the time with the Mercedes). Another surprise was the other pilot, Miki Makimura. Ryo had suprised himself when he volunteered for the poor girl, but the real suprise was when his father turned out to be right. He was a good pilot. He had dutifully taken down the Angel, cursing his father for it all the way. Was it not right that Angels should rule the Earth? Though, they truly couldn't be the actual successors when Evangelion existed.

Yes, the Evas. Ryo found that he liked piloting more than he had initially thought he would. The power behind every motion, the roaring in his ears of Unit S fighting for life. Leaving the cockpit was hard, but he was always comforted by the thought that he would return. Inside, he almost felt...safe?  
Whatever the feeling was, when he spoke with his father it was nearly the exact opposite. He felt nothing but contempt for the man, who had cast him out when he was young only to call him back when he was needed, like a tool sent to the cleaners.

He barely spoke with his classmates, but he slowly became more aquainted with Miki's friends. Truly, the girl wasn't much of a bother, but Ryo really was not much of a people person. An animal person, perhaps, but not a people person. Miki's friends were strange, but kind, something Ryo appreciated in his lonely life.

He and Miki bonded over the Angels, particularly when they had to coorperate to defeat an Angel, as was the case with number 5. That damn rhombohedron.  
Jenny, his chaperone, lived with him and took care of his needs. She wasn't particularly talkative, which suited Ryo just fine. Yet he found he could confide in her when the need arose, and he felt comfortable hanging around her.

All in all, Ryo began to fall into a routine. Get up, curse his father, go to school, come home, eat dinner, sleep.  
Everything changed with the Second Child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Next chapter is longer.


	2. Second Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryo meets the strange and attractive Akira Fudo

"Where is the Third Child?" The brazen Second Child asked the group. Whatever Ryo had been expecting, it wasn't this. The Second Child was stunning in both personality and looks. His beautiful black hair framed a soft face with the perfect amount of squareness. His dark eyes glittered in the shining sun, highlighted by what must have been eyeliner or the longest lashes known to mankind, and he stood strong against the wind in a black muscle shirt and jeans. He had the perfect amount of muscle, slightly buff, but still lean and with a pinched waist. Miki was already swooning, but Ryo had much more self-control than that. He stepped foward and extended his hand, wearing his warmest smile. Suprisingly, he realized it wasn't fake.

"That would be me. The name's Ryo Asuka."

The Second Child grinned as he shook his hand. "I'm Akira, Akira Fudo. Pleased to meet you, Ryo."  
They stared at each other for what must have been minutes but what felt like hours, simply studying the other's face and features. Eventually Miki got impatient and walked between their still-held hands, smirking at Ryo before turning her attention onto Akira. "So, Akira, do you have much experience piloting?"

Akira lit up, his eyes shining. "Yes, actually. Before the Angels started attacking the Tokyo Branch, they started out with Germany. I don't know what those devils wanted, but I certainly took care of them!" Akira began to ramble on and on about his kills, but Ryo still couldn't tear his eyes away from his expressions and face.

The group was interrupted as an alarm went off on the boat. Amon, Akira's supervisor, motioned for Akira to follow him, but Akira ignored him and waved to Ryo. "Hey Ryo, follow me!" Akira shouted in the chaos. And though it seemed he hardly knew this boy, he would most defenitely follow him to the end of the earth. Ryo started and paused, looking at down at the floor in confusion. Where had that thought come from?

"Ryo, come on, lets go!" Ryo shook his head, storing that question for a later date. There were more important things to worry about, like the Angel attack and seeing Akira in a plugsuit.

* * *

Piloting an Evangelion was it's own experience. It felt what you felt, it knew what you knew. When you were in an Eva, there was supposed to be a feeling of completeness. When Ryo was in an Eva, he felt almost nothing, besides the power of the apex predator he was inside. Unit S was equipped with all the standard equipment, plus a recently added Prog Knife. When Ryo was in Unit S, he felt commanding, in control, and above all, like the most powerful being on the planet.

Piloting an Evangelion with Akira was a slightly different story. Instead of fighting the foreign entry, Unit A accepted the dual pilots like they were meant to pilot together in the first place. Ryo was quick and precise in dealing with Angels, but Akira preferred a more...hands-on approach. Ryo quickly learned Akira loved to tear the Angels into bloody pieces, relishing in the blood spilled by their massive bodies. Ryo thought Akira must have felt the same about Unit A as Ryo did with Unit S.  
When they were piloting together Ryo was instantly caught up in the feeling that absolutely nothing could touch them. They were on another plane of existence all together, their sync ratios probably off the charts. It was a heady feeling, and one he simply couldn't get enough of. If he could have spent the rest of his years piloting the same Unit with Akira, he would have done it in a heartbeat. Alas, all good thing must come to an end, and so the Angel was defeated. Ryo did not miss the crazed expression on Akira's face as he dealt the final blow, but he noted how it slowly disappeared as Akira seemed to regain control of himself. As they were pulled out of the ocean, Akira turned to look behind him, grinning slightly guiltily. "I didn't freak you out or anything, did I? I know I get intense when I fight those things."

Ryo smiled at him. "Not at all. It was quite the enjoyable show." Akira seemed to preen under his praise and Ryo had to hold back a chuckle. At least this pilot was one he wouldn't have to babysit.

Ryo watched in newly-formed jelousy as Akira preened under Amon's praise as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this far! Next chapter will be much longer.


	3. Dance! Like your life depends on it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 7th Angel causes some problems

The next few days were spent integrating Akira into the Japanese NERV branch. To Ryo's surprise, Akira was assigned to live with him and Jenny. Although Ryo wasn't complaining (at least Akira wasn't with Miki), it was still a bit hard to get used to three people living in the small apartment. It was made even more difficult, however, when the next Angel attacked and Akira and Ryo were unable to subdue it.

"It was not my fault! You were supposed to back me up, not screw up my attack. I probably could've killed the Angel by myself!"

"And what, made an even bigger fool of yourself? Maybe if you hadn't charged ahead with no plan besides 'kill', we wouldn't have to dig our Units out from the bay!"

Amon stepped between the two. His stare was like a thousand needles. "You _children_ have lost NERV over a billion dollars with your foolish behavior. I suggest you clean up your act, or we may have to start searching for better pilots."

Akira spun around on his heel. "What!? You can't just replace me! I'm the best pilot here!"

Ryo and Miki cleared their throats but Amon interrupted whatever retort they had planned. "Listen up, brat. You are most definitely replaceable. You aren't unique, you aren't special. What you all are is useful, and if you don't stay that way I will personally throw you out the door. Understand?"

Akira, cowed, nodded. Ryo couldn't see his face, but he presumed that Akira's brows were furrowed in quiet anger (like his own).

* * *

NERV had managed to stall it for two weeks with an N2 mine, but Akira took the hit hard and sulked for the next few days. Ryo refused to admit that his timing may have been off, and instead continued to point out that as much as Akira liked to believe he was the best, he still had quite a ways to go. The Angel had split in two, a surprise to everyone involved, but both Ryo and Akira were frustrated that they couldn't have dealt with it easily like they had with the last Angel.

Jenny eventually found the 'perfect' solution with the help of Silene and Amon. A synced battle-dance routine for two pilots to try and get down within the week and a half they still had left. Of course Akira and Ryo were selected, but they seemed unable to rediscover the rhythm they had last time. Akira kept shouting when Ryo messed up, which in turn caused Ryo to get heated. Ryo had come to the conclusion that the first Angel they had fought together had been a fluke. When he had stated as much during their last failed attempt at syncing, Akira's face turned bright red and he stormed off into the small apartment.

Ryo still hadn't apologized (because he was most definitely right) when Miki and the rappers came over the next day. Akira wasn't speaking to him, and as far as Ryo was concerned, that was fine (even though it wasn't). All it meant was that Akira wasn't as perfect as Ryo had thought, which came as both a slight suprise and a relief. Jenny, exasperated with their petty squabbling, asked Miki to come and give it a try with Ryo. Surprisingly, they did quite well together. Akira, who had come out from his room in shorts and a too-big T-shirt for a drink, stared at them in surprise, then scowled and slammed the fridge. He quickly walked outside, his hair hiding his face as he slammed the apartment door. Wamu noticed this and chased after him. Ryo frowned at Akira but refused to follow him on account of his pride. Miki sighed beside him.

"That's just like him. He likes keeping his problems to himself. Doesn't want to be a bother, you know?"

Ryo stared at her in surprise. "It sounds like you've known him for awhile. Were you two friends before or something?"

Miki smiled sadly. "Yeah. I knew Akira when he was a kid. His parents used to go on lots of expeditions, so they ended up leaving him with my family a lot, since my parents and his were good friends. He stayed for maybe two years, before some guys from the Germany branch showed up and took him for training. I never thought I would follow after him, but here I am. He used to be a real crybaby, you know?" She giggled. "He's still so sensitive for a guy."

Ryo wasn't sure how to feel about the new information, so he simply made a noncommittal noise to acknowledge Miki's statement. Fortunately, Wamu came back in to interrupt the quickly-turning-awkward silence in the room. Unfortunately, he came over to Ryo, anger glinting in his eyes. Ryo met his gaze with apathy.

"Hey man, I don't know what's going on between you two, but you should go apologize to Akira. He's only upset because of you."

Ryo was about to retort when Miki turned and stared at him with her insistant eyes. Ryo sighed. At this point it was more trouble then it was worth to fight them on it. Ryo held up his hands in surrender.

"Fine, I'm going." He walked calmly backwards towards the outside door and let himself out.

When Ryo stepped outside he was assaulted by a battering wind and too much mist. Lifting up his hand to shield himself from the rays, he saw Akira hanging from the railing of the apartment complex by only his legs.

"What in the hell are you doing, Akira?" Ryo walked over to the pair of legs and glanced over the side of the railing. Akira's dark eyes were shut as he answered, "Hanging out." His arms were flapping in the wind.

Ryo rolled his eyes. "I can see that." He paused and asked, "Why?"

Akira huffed, then chuckled, opening his eyes. "I was mad at you, but I guess I just can't stay that way." With a little "hup!" he used his arms and weight to swing himself back over the railing, but he quickly began to slide back over the side due to sweat and moisture. Ryo grabbed his hands and hauled him over, the resulting stumbling leading to the uncomfortably comfortable position of Akira leaning against Ryo, his head in Ryo's collarbone. Akira lifted his head and grinned up at him. Ryo blushed a bit, but overall found he quite liked the position they were in. Too soon, Akira regained his balance. He stared at the rolling waves of mist, slowly walking back over to the railing. This time he leaned his arms against it, staring at the clouds.

"You know, I was pretty mad at you, Ryo." Akira's eyes shifted over to him. His grin was gone, replaced by a somber line, and his eyebrows were furrowed.

Ryo joined him, leaning against the railing and staring at the gray clouds. "I'm not sure I completely understand why, but I will say this: I'm sorry."

Akira stared at him, then snickered. Ryo glanced over at him in confusion. "What?"

Akira returned to staring at the clouds. "I know I haven't been here or known you for too long, Ryo, but I didn't actually expect you to apologize. Forgive me if this offends you, but you just don't seem the type."

Ryo flushed a bit, embarrassed. "Well, I wouldn't, for most people. But you aren't 'most people'."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

Silence stretched between them, but it was comfortable, not awkward. Eventually they both agreed it was getting too cold to remain outside. Before they made it to the apartment door, Akira paused again by the railing, Ryo following suit.

"I suppose I was upset because you were right. I do tend to lose myself in the heat of the moment, but it's not something I'm extremely proud of. I don't usually make plans and I don't usually team up with others, because they tend to get hurt. When I synced with you, I really felt as though nothing could stop us, but it wasn't anger that clouded my head. It was a very strange feeling, almost like true happiness. When I was fighting with you, I could keep my head and not hurt the others. You gave me clarity, Ryo. I didn't want that to be a fluke."

Akira didn't look at him as he continued towards the door, but Ryo thought he saw a small, sad smile on his face. His heart did a strange thing in his chest, a little thu-thump, and squeezed his breath from him.

Every time after that, Akira and Ryo performed flawlessly on the practice mat. Streaked with sweat, they grinned at each other as they hit the last note perfectly.

* * *

The night before they were due to fight the Angel, Akira and Ryo were left home alone by Jenny, who had to stay late for work. Before that, Ryo, Akira, and Jenny all slept in the same room (to 'up the sync', as Jenny had stated). Ryo managed to get away with a few cigarettes that night, and he and Akira stayed up late watching television, but by the end of the second movie it was time for bed. To Ryo's surprise, Akira picked up his futon and moved to the living room, smirking at Ryo and closing the door with his foot. Ryo blinked, but simply put in his ear buds and turned on his MP3 player. Chopin began to play softly in his ears, but the opening notes were interrupted by the sound of the living room door slamming open. Ryo knew that it must be Akira, so he pretended to be asleep. Was he coming back because he was lonely? Ryo wondered. Or maybe...no, that was just (and forever would be) a fantasy.  
The bathroom light finally turned off and Ryo heard the rustle of sheets and pillows being gathered. He quickly closed his eyes as the footsteps neared, but to his shock the bundle of linens were dumped right next to him. Through his ear buds, he could hear Akira smoothing out his bed on the floor before settling down under the sheets. When Akira's breath finally evened out, Ryo felt it was safe to open his eyes.

The sight of Akira's soft stomach shocked him out of any night time daze he might have been in. Akira was laying on his back, which caused his shirt to ride up, exposing his midriff. Ryo knew that Akira must have had some stomach muscles, based on his build alone, but while he was relaxed they were nigh-invisible, especially in the dark room which was illuminated only by moon light. Ryo attempted to calm himself by thinking through the situation logically, but it just. wasn't. working. Akira's face glistened in the moonlight (it seemed still wet in places, so he must have washed it in the bathroom), and his head lolled to the side, allowing Ryo to fully study his features without being scrutinized in return. Akira truly had a pretty face, pretty enough to match Ryo's own, or in Ryo's eyes, perhaps exceed it. He wanted to lift his hand up and rest it on Akira's face, to feel the skin there. Was it warm or cool? When had Akira last shaved? He hardly ever had any whiskers on any given day, so either he had a hard time growing a stubble or he liked to be clean-shaven. Ryo himself knew he himself had to shave frequently. He lifted his hand up, then realized then realized the gravity of what may happen. _What was he doing?!_ He asked himself. Akira would surely wake up, and then he wouldn't speak to Ryo for days on end again. That was unacceptable. And yet...

Despite Ryo telling his body that he mustn't touch Akira, his hand seemed to lift up of its own accord. Akira's face was drawing nearer, how strange. Ryo's hand finally rested on Akira's cheek, and he tilted his face upwards, towards him. Akira's cheek was indeed clean-shaven and soft. Ryo stared him. Akira would never have to know. Who knows, perhaps this could bump up their sync ratio... Ryo nearly scoffed at himself. Look at him, making excuses for what he wanted. Anxiety pumped through his veins, and his breathing quickened. He inched his face closer to Akira's, seeking the warmth of his soft-looking lips.

"Mama."

Ryo stopped dead.

"Mama," Akira whispered in his sleep, an expression of peace coming over his face.

Ryo narrowed his eyes. He quickly flipped over, pulling the blanket over himself. Look at him. Stopped by a sleeping child's plea. One of his ear buds had fallen out and his MP3 player seemed to be making a cacophony of distracting noises, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Even shifting away from Akira couldn't lessen Ryo's embarrassment at his lust and the situation. Ryo couldn't believe that those thoughts that filtered through his head were his own. He had hardly ever felt attraction in his life, an suddenly the Second Child comes along, and he's head over heels? He truly couldn't believe it. Well, yes, actually, he could. But even so, he felt a bone-deep embarrassment for his arousal and what he had been about to do.  
As the one-sided awkwardness grew, Ryo just couldn't take it anymore. He got up (quietly or loudly, he didn't bother to worry), gathered his sheets, left his futon where it was, and walked to the opposite side of the room. He straightened out his bed sheets and pillows.

Akira's supplies were still in the bathroom, toothbrush and all. Even just looking at them made Ryo feel guilty, which made him even more frustrated. He managed to work off his earlier lust and frustration, calming himself down the best way he knew how. When he returned to bed, he had a fitful sleep all night long.

He refused to look at Akira in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Next chapter coming soon


	4. Magma Diver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira is given his first solo mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope I was able to make this chapter good! I know it dragged a bit in the actual show, but I worked hard on it. Also, first time trying out Akira's POV. Fingers crossed this turns out okay. Also, a shoutout to the two kudos'! I honestly never thought anybody would read this but, I'm so glad some people are finding enjoyment in it.

Akira was feeling elated after the successful defeat of the 7th Angel. Things were going well at school, home, and work. He had forgiven Ryo and he hoped Ryo had forgiven him for his admittedly childish behavior. However, he did his best not to let it bother him, and instead focused on not repeating the same mistake. In the end, they had defeated the Angel and all was well.

Well, almost all was well. He glanced over at Ryo, who was walking with him back to the apartment. Ryo seemed to grow more distant everyday, though Akira was sure he hadn't done anything to provoke him. They had fallen into an easier camaraderie after the 7th Angel, so Akira had thought they would have grown closer, not farther apart. Every time he and Ryo were left alone, silence filled the air despite how much Akira tried to get Ryo to participate in small talk with him. Well, he supposed, maybe Ryo just wasn't one to talk about meaningless things.

On the way home, they had run into Amon, who informed them that they were not to go on the school field trip to the hot springs, on account of them being needed in Tokyo-3. Ryo seemed unsurprised but Akira was a bit more disappointed. "Come on Amon, what are the chances the Angel is going to show up on the day we leave?"

Amon sighed. "It doesn't matter what the probability is. An Angel may still show up, and for that we need the pilots here. If they had asked me, I would have said to let you three go off while the adults deal with it. Unfortunately, this is the call of your father, Ryo."

Ryo's face remained apathetic. Akira sighed sadly, thinking of the new bathing suit he had just bought. "Whatever. NERV has a huge pool anyway, right Amon?"

But his supervisor had already walked off. Akira stared at his retreating back, frowning. Amon had always been more indulgent than this. What had changed? Tch, must have been Dr. Sirene. Those two seemed to be undressing each other with their eyes no matter where they were.

As Akira and Ryo made their way to the apartment, Akira asked, "Hey Ryo, do you want to go to the pool?" Ryo shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't give a shit. I have work to do."

"Come on! I'll invite Miki too."

"You think that makes me want to go more?"

"Don't be so mean! Besides, I got a new bathing suit. Don't you want to check it out?"

Here Ryo froze for a moment, then resumed his walking towards his room. "I told you, I don't care."

Akira huffed. He made his way to the kitchen to call Miki. Surprisingly she picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hey Miki! I wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the pool with Ryo and I."

"Oh, sure! I don't think the boys can come, but I'll meet you there, okay? I have to take a quick shower, so I might be late!"

"A shower? Before the pool? Girls are so weird!"

"Mhm, and I know you haven't taken a bath in ages. The only time you wash off is in the LCL!"

"That isn't true! Whatever, just meet us at the pool."

"Okay, see you there."

Miki hung up first and Akira chuckled as he put the phone down. Miki really was like a ray of sunshine on Tokyo-3. He strolled to his room to get ready, contemplating on just how he was going to drag Ryo to the pool.

* * *

"Hey Ryo, what are you working on?"

"My classwork, I already told you."

Akira shook his hair to try and rid it of water. Ah, whatever. It was feathery enough to dry quickly. "No, I mean like what subject."

Ryo glanced up at him before returning to his calculations. He was seated at a small pool-side table with his laptop open and no bathing suit in sight and Akira stood next to him, having just climbed out of the pool. "Science. Specifically, advanced thermal expansion."

Akira put his chin in his hand. "Thermal expansion? Like how hot stuff swells and cold stuff shrinks?"

Ryo nodded. "Yes, exactly. Except the work I'm doing is a tad more difficult than that."

Akira leaned down to peer at the screen. He let out a low whistle. "You can say that again!"

Ryo smiled up at him, the first genuine expression of happiness Akira had seen from him in some time. "Wait, so does that mean that my body would swell in the heat and shrink in the cold?"

Ryo glanced down at his swimming trunks. "Or certain parts of your body..." He added slyly.

Akira was shocked for a minute, then laughed loudly, startling Miki, who was swimming in the deep end. Akira felt no shame, he was proud of his body. When he compared his and Ryo's muscles (during stolen glances in the locker room), he noticed that although he himself seemed to show it more, Ryo certainly wasn't lacking.

From there his thoughts turned to questions about thermal expansion. If he bathed long enough in warm water would his muscles swell? Would that be good or bad? As Akira lost himself down that train of thought, Miki swam over and splashed him. She giggled and dove back under, pushing off the side to propel herself away, and Akira grinned and followed suit. "Ryo, watch this!" He called.  
Akira cannon-balled in, making quite a splash that seemed to just barely miss Ryo. Ryo scoffed and turned back to his work.

An alarm rang out. Akira popped his head back up above the water and groaned as he shook the chlorine out of his eyes. Another Angel attack so soon? He glanced over to Ryo, which turned out to be the wrong decision. Ryo had the beginnings of a tent in his pants as he packed up his things.

Akira slid back down into the water and pretended he hadn't seen anything.

* * *

"Okay pilots, today is a special alpha mission.. This is a operation is retrieval-only. The 10th Angel has been located, but it is still in its embryonic state inside the volcano. We will send one of you in to get it so NERV can further research on Angels. Now, any volunteers?"

Akira instantly raised his hand. He felt a bit like he was back in grade school, waiting to be called on by the teacher.

"Yes Akira?" Dr. Silene asked.

"I volunteer."

Dr. Silene nodded and glanced back down at her clipboard. "This will be your first solo mission."

"Yes."

"Don't screw up."

Amon shouldered his way foward from the crowd of surrounding NERV employees. "I still don't understand how I, 5-star General of the German Army, Amon, got stuck with babysitting duties." He pointed to Akira, who refused to flinch even though he felt hurt at the notion that he was nothing but a child to his supervisor. "If you would let me into the cockpit I guarantee that Angel would be dead in ten seconds flat."

Dr. Silene sighed. "Amon, I understand where you are coming from, but if we were to let you into the cockpit you'd suffer extreme mental contamination. It's better to let the children do it."

As much as that statement sounded so purely wrong, Akira used it to his advantage. "Better let the youth take over, old man." He teased.  
He was not met with amusement, but instead anger and embarrassment. Amon stormed out, and Dr. Silene quickly followed, only saying, "Suit up in Type D equipment."  
Akira noticed Ryo glance at him from the corner of his eye. He turned to look at him and smirked. "Don't worry Ryo. This is gonna be a piece of cake."

* * *

As they were suiting up Unit A for the launch, Akira noticed a plane circling up above their heads. Squinting, he was just able to make out the letters on the side. "Hey, is that a U.N. plane?"

Jenny looked up and so did Ryo. "Yes, it is." Jenny responded.  
Akira felt somewhat reassured by its presence, but that feeling quickly faded when Jenny continued. "The Commander had ordered that N2 mines be dropped should this mission go wrong. We will all perish if the Angel escapes."

Akira glanced over to Ryo to gauge his reaction. Ryo's eyes were narrowed, but Akira was sure it wasn't from the sun. Ryo said nothing, so Akira let it be and quickly changed the topic."So Ryo, what do you thing magma diving is gonna be like?"

Ryo sighed, but his expression returned to normal. When he turned to face Akira he wore a slight grin on his face. "I don't know Akira, I haven't had the chance to experience it."

Akira grinned back. "Well, I'll make sure to tell you all about it after the mission is over. Watch me beat this Angel solo!"

Ryo chuckled. "Yes, I'll make sure to watch. Somebody has to stay on track, right?"

Akira poked his tongue out at him. He heard his name being called and raced over to suit up, calling, "Goodbye!" behind him.

* * *

Being lowered into an active volcano must have been one of the strangest experiences of Akira's life. He knew Ryo was on backup above ground, but he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of being voluntarily drowned as he was sent ever deeper. Dark red, oranges, and browns swam in front of his eyes, and the plug of the Eva was sweltering. He was also extremely uncomfortable in the Type D equipment. It swelled around him, bringing to mind the conversation on thermal expansion earlier. Was it still expanding or was he just getting smaller? His mind grew hazy from the heat and he became slightly drowsy.

He was abruptly jolted from his trance when Dr. Sirene yelled through his comm, "There!"  
A dark mass was indeed resting in front of him, chubby little arms and legs that one would expect to see on a gummi bear. He slowly extended to cage to grab it. The bars of metal successfully formed the electric, nearly transparent walls.

"Okay, you can pull me up now!" He said. He was begining to feel nervous and slightly agitated.

Relief flooded his body as the cords slowly wound themselves up, dragging him and the cargo against the current. He sighed and fell back into the seat, closing his eyes and letting the tension in his body release.

"AKIRA, WATCH OUT!"

His eyes shot open as Unit A was jolted at a frighting angle. "Shit!" He exclaimed.

The angel embryo was hatching, the gummi bear limbs extending and strengthening exponentially within the span of a few seconds. Before Akira could comprehend what was happening, the cage was crammed with a fully grown Angel. He swore he could hear it hiss, even over his own frantic cussing. The Unit was jolted again, and this time the Angel managed to shatter a wall with an arm, using the freed limb to start attacking the adjacent structures.

"God dammit! What the fuck is this thing doing?!" Akira yelled.

"Akira, stay calm-"

"Easy for you to say!"

"Akira, I need you to calm down right now. The new mission priority is the destruction of the Angel."

"On it."

Even as those words left his lips, an uncomfortable feeling settled in his gut. Was it really just to kill an infant, even if that infant was happened to be an Angel? Akira shivered slightly, though his mind didn't acknowledge it. No, the Angels are going to destroy us. They aren't worth anything, even the newly birthed ones. But still...  
Akira had trouble focusing on the control in front of him. He was distantly aware of the Angel fully breaking out of the cage and latching on to the armor of the Eva. He faced a moral dilemma, one he wasn't sure he could sort through right now. Was killing the child justified? No! But killing the Angel was. That's right, Angels weren't like humans. They felt no emotions. They couldn't love or care about people. They only found life pleasurable when they were destroying good things. Like Tokyo-3, or human lives, or Akira's par-

The thought of his parents' suffering snapped Akira back to reality. Sirene was screaming in his ear, the Type-D Eva suit was crunching down around him from the volcanic pressure, and the Angel was gnawing at another hole. Yelling in fury, Akira pushed the controls to full-throttle. The Eva moved slowly but with strength, and the Angel was knocked off into the volcanic recesses. Akira hooted in triumph. Yes, kill the Angel. That's what he had to do. No silly questions about morality! He was Akira Fudo, nicknamed the Devil for a reason! He lived for the destruction of the Angels!  
Akira knew he must be wearing a grin larger than his face at the moment. But he simply chose not to hold it back any longer. Violence and a lust for blood boiled in his veins, and he gripped the controls tighter as he forced the Eva to reach back for the Prog Knife. When the claw gripped nothing, he turned in shock. Fuck, that's right! He was wearing Type-D equipment dammit!

"Shit..." He hissed out through gritted teeth. How was he supposed to beat this thing without a weapon?

"Akira, reach up!"

Akira looked up and saw Unit S's Prog Knife floating down towards him.

"Thanks Ryo, you're an angel!"

Akira was unable to see Ryo through the comm link, but he laughed when he thought he heard Ryo clear his throat uncomfortably.

"C'mon Ryo, that was joke!"

"Akira, I would be paying more attention to- IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU-!"

Akira finally grasped the Prog knife and unsheathed it just as he was tackled by the Angel.

"Take this, you damn demon!"

The Angel hissed when the knife met its outside, but nothing else happened. Akira flew into another string of expletives as he attempted to stab the Angel, but it held on and continued clawing at his further crumpling armor.

"Fuck shit fuck, die you stupid thing!"

Ryo's voice flickered back on the comm link. "Akira, remember thermal expansion?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with -AGH- this?!"

"The Angel was born in an extremely hot environment. What do you think will happen if we cool it off?"

Laughing, Akira suddenly felt silly for the apprehensiveness flowing through his body. Of course! He reached the grip claw behind him again, this time reaching for the coolant. He managed to rip it free and aim it at the Angel, who was once again blasted off. This time it shrieked loudly, but as it was propelled away from him it reached up and broke the support cable, before being incinerated by the volcanic heat.

"You fucking thing! Shit shit shit-" Akira despetely scrabbled for some sort of hold, but his hopes were sinking with his Eva. The final steel thread snapped and he was sent floating down with the current.

"Dammit..." He whispered. He nearly started to cry, but he jumped when he felt something grab the Eva's wrist. He looked up to find Unit S, without heat-resistant armor, holding onto Unit A.  
Akira sat back in his seat and blinked away his tears. The two Units ascended as the cheers of the NERV ground staff echoed throughout the plug.

* * *

"Hey Ryo...that move back there. That was really dangerous. Why would you risk two Eva Units to save me?"

Ryo turned to face him. His face was blank, but Akira swore he saw a trace of a strange expression remaining. Before he could identify it, Ryo strutted past him.

"Well, Akira, you have quickly become one of my friends. I'm not the type of person to let someone I care about be killed, even if it ends up costing something else of mine. Is that enough of a reason?"

In Akira's chest bloomed a sudden feeling. It was a strange feeling, one he hadn't felt in a long time. He was once again sure his grin was bigger than his face. This time it wasn't fueled by bloodshed, but by the sort of happiness that comes from knowing there's somebody out there who truly cares about you. "Well Ryo, I feel the same way. I'd do the same for you, I hope you know."

Ryo smiled. "I'll hold you to it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I'm trying to build more relationships and actually make this story interesting, but I promise the focus will stay on Akira and Ryo. The chapters won't directly follow everything in the show, so I hope to create some future twists and turns. Again, thanks for reading! I'll try and get the new chapter in by this weekend, but no promises, sadly. Hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter is much longer. Thank you for reading this far!


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